Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Today's selection of postcards vary in both topic and approach, but they all have one thing in common: they're examples of great design.

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Designers Michael Ryan Smith and Joseph Mueller have taken the minimalist approach with this postcard, and it works wonderfully. The rich dark purple background really makes the colorful bold lines pop. The text, like the line-work, is used sparingly. We're presented with only the vitals, in a clear and concise fashion.

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This postcard designed by David Van Landingham does a great job at highlighting the services offered by MCI (Makeup Call Inc.), while also providing an example of their makeup work. The dark color scheme of the front contrasts nicely with the lighter backside. In addition, the grungier walls and shadows of the front contrast with the serene formality of the back, subtly reinforcing the idea that this company does more than weddings.

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Like we've mentioned above, designer Alisha Collins Bucca has wisely opted to go light on text. Further, this card features more imagery, which is smart because it lets the viewer know just how much variety they're in store for if they attend the event. It's enticing and informative.

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Nikole Grad utilizes striking artwork to capture our attention, and a useful calendar to ensure the postcard hangs around. The longer a recipient holds on to it, the more likely they are to attend the event.

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This postcard by Heather Cook features striking imagery with an intensity you typically don't see in youth sports promotional pieces. The front clearly appeals to children directly, because every kid wants to be taken seriously and feel tough. The back however, is all about the parents. It includes information about savings, how to sign up, and a call to action.

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And that about wraps it up for today. If you enjoyed these designs, or if you have great designs of your own that you'd like us to check out, just leave a comment below. We'd love to hear from you!

----Do you have examples of a great postcard design? We'd like to see them! Simply use the Comments feature of this blog and let us know a little about your project -- we'll respond with how to send your images to us. Thank you!----

Luckily, there are good political postcard designs out there. I have found several:

I like the fact that this postcard delivers a message and a magnet to the voter. It happens to be from our sponsor at magnetbyMail using a modified StockTemplates layout, but it's effective marketing nonetheless:

The Mitt Romney campaign keeps the focus on a single issue. That's good, because you can count on about two seconds to get your main point across on a postcard:

Some of the most effective political postcard designs aren't from the candidates themselves. Grassroots politics is an opportunity for some designers who are creating postcards to sell to supporters.

Here is a Bernie Sanders card available through Cafe Press. So if you like Sanders you can buy a pack of eight postcards, and help get the word out to your own personal mailing list:

And just to show that you don't have to run for President to have a sharp, well-designed political postcard, check out designer Brad Thomas's card for New Haven's mayoral campaign:

Finally, consider the fact that postcards are, ultimately, little posters. Remembering the mantra of a poster designer -- short, sweet, yet bold -- is sage advise for a designer of political postcards.

Here's a design from the Ron Paul Swag store for a full-sized Ron Paul poster. It's a slam-dunk postcard design as well: